Ain El-Gazala fish farm. Fish production from this farm reached to 10 tons
in 1992. This encouraged the Libyans to construct new fish and shrimp farms in
Ain Kaam and a third one at Ain Ezzian is under consideration.
There is an active cooperation between Libya, Egypt and Malta in the sector of
aquaculture and fisheries.

2.2. In Egypt, the development and production of both fresh and mariculture
is progressing simultaneous very well. The production of fresh water fish
reached 60,000 tons during 1992 and few tons in 1992 from sea water farms.
Egyptian authorities sold this year mother fish of telapia and shrimp (pepeaus
japonecus) for the Libyan National Aquaculture Project and assisted this project
by experts. Ten fresh water hatcheries constructed recently produce about 300
Millions figerlings/annualy of carp and telapia.

2.3. In Malta, as there is no fresh water farms, there is great interest to rear
many different marine species and there is a diversification in fish
production from the aquaculture farms well distributed in the Maltese sea
water.

3. Research

The countries Egypt, Malta and Libya have adequate facilities of research
either through aquaculture institutions or at the universities. Research
activities are concentrated mainly on the culture of marine fish, shrimp and
molluscs. ACtivities also include manufactured and live food research
on artemia and algae.

4. Training

All the three member countries of this sub-region have good training
programme. They have to complete each other to obtain maximum
benefit from the available resources in aquaculture sector. There is well
established cooperation between Egypt and Libya at present and it is just
started between Libya and Malta, where a number of researchers were
accepted to obtain higher degrees in fisheries and aquaculture from the
University of Malta National Aquaculture Centre.

5. Constrains
There are many constrains affecting the development of aquaculture in the
three countries of this sub-region. They are mentioned in brief as under ;

5.1. Availability of aquaculture specialists in different fields such as
aquaculture engineering, farm management, food production etc.

5.2. Qualified technicians in many specialties of aquaculture.

5.3. Availability of equipments to build and maintain fish farms.

5.4. Deficiency of manufactured and live food production.

6. MEDRAP II activities activities in this sub-region:

A workshop on fresh water culture was planned to be organized in Egypt in
1993but it was postponed to 1994 on the request of the Egyptian National
Coordinator. Another activity on Mediterranean Artemia training course
and site survey was planned to conduct inLibya last year. This also
postponed to May 1994, both the activities are planned to be held in Tunis
and Tripoli respectively. A preliminary meeting was held in Artemia
information centre in Belgium during the period from7th to 9th of October
1993 to set up the preliminary agenda and to nominate the speakers and
experts for this course.

The policy of fish farming in Egypt is based on shortage of fresh
water needed for agriculture.

Therefore, depending on drain water mainly, and exploitation of
reclaimed non-agriculture land into aquaculture.

The state strategy aiming establishing fish farms on areas of total
one hundred thousand (100 th) feddans approximately to achieve an
estimated fish productivity of about 100,000 one hundred thousand
tons and the general authority for fish resources development has
built regular fish farms on areas of 5 thousand feddans at northern
governorate, and these are ideal projects to achieve double
purposes :

The first : Dissemination of aquaculture in non-reclaimed
land which has no agri-products.

The second : Exposing the production of these governmental
fish farms with suitable prices, - the productivity of these
governmental aquaculture has been value of five millions
(L.E.).

Keeping in mind that some farms suffer of shortage of water supply
and pollution problems, the total surveyed areas of aquaculture has
reached more than hundred thousand feddans which are suitable for
aquaculture.

To achieve successful activity for fish framing, the following
aspects were accomplished:

Establishing four hatcheries of fresh water reproduction of
total productivity (3 hundred million) units annually of carp
sp. and Tilapia.

Establishing five hatcheries of freshwater in upper Egypt of
total productivity equal to the northern hatcheries.

Establishing about II stations to catch natural fries of
marine fish sp. from the Mediterranean and Suez Canal with
total production (200 million/year).

The method which is used in our aquaculture is the natural
feeding essentially.

It is necessary for us to enter the field of marine
aquaculture because of land limitation and lack of fresh water and
that required marine hatcheries which are working on level of
experiments as following:

Established marine hatchery in north of sinai for sea bass,
sea bream and shrimp for research and experimental production
during 1992–93.

For fish belts, it has been established two factories with
total productivity about (15,000) tons annually.

Under the expansion of the intensive aquaculture all over the
world, Egypt has studied how to apply these methods according to
our resources, the experiments proved that the intensive fish
culture in cages succeeded.

So fish culture in cages extended for more than 100 km along
the Nile as well as another units established during 1993 by the
northern western coast, west of Alexandria.

Fish culture in rice fields:

Egypt started culturing carp sp. in rice fields in 1983 in
(500) feddans, increased gradually until reached (500) thousand
feddans in 1993 with total productivity (30,000)tong without
governmental investment except the prices of fries which paid by
ministry of Agriculture to encourage the farmers to apply these
methods, the profits of this method return to the farmers and the
total crop of rice increased about 10%.

With no freshwater bodies or sheltered bays available, Malta has
embarked on exposed-site farming whose development is guided and
monitored by the authorities.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

The authorities have provided a system and the infrastructure
necessary for such development by:

Setting up in 1988 the National Aquaculture Centre as the
state-run institution to assist the establishment of this new
industry. This is done by providing advice to propective
investors, organising training programmes at various levels
liaising with other relevant public departments in their
formulation and execution of policies.

Amending the industrial Development Act to include
aquaculture as a manufacturing industry. Since aquaculture in
Malta is largely export-oriented, investors in this new
industry qualify for numerous incentives offered by the Malta
Development Corporation such as a 10 year tax free holiday on
profits and duty-free importation on all materials. A major
setback to the growth of the industry is a 15% duty tariff
applicable on our products when exported to the E.C. Countries
which are currently the exlusive markets.

Providing a National Aquaculture Plan and ancillary policy
framework within which to develop and control the growth of
the industry. The policies provide guidelines for potential
investors both in terms of the type of activity being
encouraged and also in terms of environmental considerations
pertaining to the issue of the relevant permits.

THE INDUSTRY

This has led to a rapid growth of the aquaculture industry since
the first ever commercial farm was established in 1990 as follows :

On-Growing farms

Hatcheries

Employment

Year

No.

Prod.(Tons)

No.

Prod.in '000 of Juvenites

Total value of Products(US$)

Full Time

Part-Time

1990

1

5

-

50,000

5

5

1991

3

200

-

2,000,000

20

12

1992

4

400

1

40

4,000,000

60

20

1993

5

700

1

300

7,000,000

80

40

1994

6

1200

1

300

1,500,000

120

50

Note: The industry is based on bass and bream and these figures are
for the two species together.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

Research and development work is largely conducted at the National
Aquaculture Centre in cooperation with the University of Malta and
the Malta council for science and Technology. A number of undergraduate
and post-graduate students both locally and foreign
(Norway, UK, Lebanon, Libya) are currently carrying out research on
various aspects of aquaculture with special emphasis being placed
on reproduction, nutrition and diseases as well as environmental
impact of aquaculture.

PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Malta has actively participated in various international programmes
organised by bodies such as MEDRAP, GFCM and CIHEAM. The intention
is to strengthen this participation and to support activities in
king as much as its limited resources allow.

Malta has also been nominated as the focal point for pathology
within the MEDRAP framework.

Libya participated actively in all the MEDRAP activities
carried-out during the year 1993, in order to obtain knowledge
on modern technology and experience from those countries well
ahead in aquaculture.

The experimental projects on marine aquaculture in Libya are
carried-out by the National Aquaculture Project (recently
renamed as National Institute of Aquaculture) with the
cooperation of Marine Biology Research Centre (MBRC). Two
experimental farms named Ain El Gazala and Ain Kaam are the
major on-going projects. A third one is under construction at
Ain Ezziana.

Diversification of aquaculture in Libya

Aquacultural activities in the country shifted from fresh
water to marine due to the lack of fresh water resources and
the rejection of fresh water species by the local communities.

The cultivated fish species in Libya are seabass, seabreams,
Mugil, Telapia, Shrimp (Pepeaus japonicus) and mollusc
(Mytillus edulis). These activities are aimed at the
development of aquaculture in Libya by building hatchery,
nursery and fattening tanks with advanced techniques to reach
aquaculture potentials with long term objective, for the
commercial exploitation by the public as well as the private
sectors in the country.

Training

In order to achieve aquaculture potentials, in addition to the
participation in training with-in MEDRAP II frame work, a
number of researchers from the National Aquaculture Project
and from MBRC, Participated in various training courses in
Egypt and Belgium.

Improvement of live food production

As a continuation to the activities to improve live food
production in Libya, two live food researches participated in
the Seventh Larvicultural and Artemia Training Course in the
Artemia Centre in Ghent University, Belgium. A small scale
solar salt production unit integrated for brine shrimp artemia
production in the MBRC premises is under construction.

Environmental management of aquaculture development

A study programme was initiated with the cooperation between
National Aquaculture Project and MBRC to study the impact of
aquaculture on the environment of both Ain El-Gazala and Ain
Kaam for aquaculture development. Recently started a
terrestrial and coastal survey of different places by visiting
the sites and exploiting remote sensing techniques for the
selection of suitable sites for the development of
aquaculture. As part of the technical assistance package to
the fisheries sector from FAO, during the two weeks GIS
consultancy we could gather necessary information to set up a
database of aquaculture sites and gave necessary training to
the national counterpart staff. An aquaculture expert is
expected to come and start functioning before the end of 1993.
Fish handling and Processing Expect (24 m/m) arrived in
February 1993, Fish disease specialist (2 months),
hatchery/live feed specialist (2 months), pellet feed
specialist (1 month), environment/lagoon management specialist
(three months), fry resource specialist (two months) are also
envisaged in the project.

Production

In Libya there is no hatchery fry production, but it is
intended to build one or two in the acting aquaculture farms.
This is a marking point that, the total production of table
size (300–400 grams) fish of seabass and seabream from Ain El-Gazala
farm increased ten times within a period of one year
(from 2 tons in 1991 to 20 tons in 1992). The production of
fish and shrimp from Ain Kaam is expected to increase
considerably in the near future, as the on-going research
activities succeed to obtain frys and fingerlings for this
farm.

Food production for aquaculture:

In 1990 upon the request of the National Aquaculture Project
16 metric tons of fish feed (dry pellets of 4.5 mm φ) were
produced for seabass and seabream nutrition.

The local fish meal production using wastes from sardine,
mackerel and tuna canneries is about 600 tons/year and is
complemented by the importation of fish meals from Peru, chile
and Argentina on the range of 15,000 to 20,000 tons per year.
A project to manufacture fish meal from locally available
agro-wastes coming from the processing of olives, grapes,
dates etc. is under consideration.

MEDRAP ACTIVITIES IN LIBYA:

Within the MEDRAP framework, a training course was designed on
Mediterranean artemia and site survey and it was planned to be
held in Libya in the current year but postponed to may 1994 to
be held in both Tunis and Libya. A preliminary agenda and
nomination of experts were finalized for this training course
with the close cooperation from Artemia Information Centre of
Ghent University, Belgium.

Constrains

8.1. Experience: Lack of experienced personnel is the most
important difficulty faced by the Libyan aquaculture
sector. In order to overcome this, We are trying to give
training to the national staff under different frame
works of FAO through MEDRAP and LID/88/009 projects.

8.2. Equipment: As an underdeveloped third world country,
Libya is always depending on foreign technology. As a
result foreign manufacturers are the only source for
equipment. Recently We signed a contract with UNESCO to
facilitate procurement of equipment as well as for
training of our national staff aboard.

8.3. Feeding: The availability of live as well as
manufactured food is another important factor affecting
the development strategies in aquaculture. At present we
are depending mainly on imports to meet the requirement
of live and manufactured fish meal. In order to overcome
this problem and to improve this critical situation,
the installation of a fish meal producing plant is under
consideration. Raw material for this factory can be
obtained locally from different sources such as agro-wastes
from the fruit processing industry and local
strain artemia from swamps.

The role that the Sub-regional Centre was expected to play within
the structure of MEDRAP II was confined by objective difficulties.
Though the war in the region of Dubrovnik has stopped and feedback
from the countries of the subregion has considerably improved
compared with the year before, the main difficulty, still, was
insufficient communications with the countries concerned.
Communication with the Coordination Centre in Tunis was good.

TURKEY: National Committee for MEDRAP II was established and is
proceeding with the concerned activities. NC is participating in
governmental meeting concerning planification of aquaculture
projects. Participants from Turkey attended all the MEDRAP II
seminars and workshops. Turkey is willing to take more active role
in future networks of SIPAM, TECAM, SELAM and EAM.

ALBANIA: In the frame of Albanian Directorate for Fisheries it has
been established coordination for MEDRAP II. The relevant national
plan of aquaculture development is one of priorities within the
general development of fisheries in Albania. Special attention
will be paid to the ecologically sound integrated management of
Lagoons and coastal zone sites suitable for aquaculture. Owing to
technical difficulties, participants from Albania have not attended
all the MEDRAP II seminars and workshops. Albania is willing to
take more active role in future networks of SIPAM, TECAM, SELAM and
EAM.

BULGARIA participated almost in all MEDRAP activities in 1993.
Mariculture is being developed, primarily mussel culture, both
state and private initiatives. The state concern is also directed
towards development of turbot and salmonids (marine) cultivation.
In freshwater culture privatisation takes place too rapidly.
Except trout and carps, interest is given to introduced species, as
eel, Ictiobius sp. etc… In 1993, freshwater production from fish
culture is expected to be 6000 t 3 times less than in 1990.
The new aquaculture initiatives both in fresh and marine waters,
lack a new juridical basis, environmentally sound as well, to
promote commercial activities in the country during the period of
deep political and economical changes after 1989.
A lot of attention is also paid to the oil exploration and
production activities carried out along the black sea coast
including the Bulgarian shelf. Mariculture activities should be
developed keeping in mind this reality as well.

The State Fisheries Inspectorate (Ministry of Agriculture) is
responsible for the control over the fisheries exploitation in the
inland basin and at sea including aquaculture development and
national participation in MEDRAP. In that regard, Bulgaria will
take more active role in future networks of SIPAM, TECAM, SELAM and
EAM.

CROATIA National Committee for MEDRAP II activities has been
formed. Plans for development of aquaculture were submitted to the
respective Ministry. Selection of sites suitable for aquaculture
and ecologically sound management of mollusc culture were chosen as
priority projects. Participants from Croatia attended all the
MEDRAP II seminars and workshops. Croatia is willing to take more
active role in future networks of SIPAM, TECAM, SELAM and EAM.

The Government made a research to the foreign companies on
aquaculture potential and possibilities in coastal line and inland
by supporting of the World Bank in 1993, so that these activities
were reflected. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Affairs contracted with a company to set up the Central Computer
System covered 38 cities. We will be able to monitor the
aquaculture statistics as well as fishing from now on.

By reason of the conflict between aquaculture and tourism sectors
that happened in the Aegean Sea Last Year, the related governmental
bodies agreed to separate different regions each other in
principle.

Further, Turkey has participated to the all MEDRAP II activities
except the working group meeting in Biarritz.

On diversification of aquaculture products, some farmers directed
to the new species, such as Turbot and Sturgeon, but these
activities are on the experimental phase.

Owing to the high sea water temperature for salmon in summer in the
Black Sea, farmers are testing about putting period and size into
the floating cages.

On production, there is no an increase on the aquaculture
production except Seabream and Seabass in 1993.

In order to solve marketing problem for Seabream and Seabass,
farmers directed towards the domestic market, especially Ankara
(Capital City) and Antalya are going to be new markets.

Albania has a coastline of about 470 km, 10.000 ha coastal
lagoons, and about 25,000 ha inland fisheries located on three
natural lakes (Shkodra, Prespa, Ohri) shared with Yugoslavia,
Macedonia, and Greece of which, the Albanian portion covers 25,000
ha. There are also about 7,000 ha artificial lakes and 6,000 ha
small reservoirs. Put of the total area, in about 650 ha are
established fishfarms for aquaculture in fresh waters.

Actually, three types of aquaculture take place in Albania:

Cypriniculture of fresh waters: there are 16 fishfarms,
producing fingerlings and fish for consumption. Four state-owned
fishfarms at Durres, Kavaje, and Narte cover a total
surface of 400 ha and have expansion potential to 650 ha. They
are presently used for carp production both as grow-out
facilities and hatcheries to produce fingerlings for the
stocking programme. These farms represent a heavy sunk of
investment and are all located in convenient proximity to the
sea. The fingerlings units produced 30 million at their peak
(1989) 70% chinese carps especially silver and bighead and 30%
european carp. The 4 state ongoing farms produced 500 tons
(1989).

There is also one trout farm, covering 42 ha of raceways in
Vrione, near Saranda which has as its most important assets a
large sunk, a convenient location in relation to potential
markets and an excellent freshwater source. Trout culture
suffers from a poor feed conversion rate, low international
market prices and high cost of imported feeds. The farm
requires basically only operating funds and good management.
The average total production of this fishfarm consists in 2
million fingerlings and 400 tons of fish.

The mussel culture in the Butrinti lagoon near Saranda
produces near its potential of 4,000 Tons per annum. Because
of the complex and fragile ecology of the lagoon, mussel
production is technically not risk-free and requires competent
management.

There might also exist a potential for more extensive forms of
aquaculture in one or more of the coastal lagoons, which would
involve less of a financial risk than intensive mariculture.

In the current situation, aquaculture should respond to market
realities, and so the emphasis has to be on high value output. At
the same time, there are some impressive facilities which merit
exploitation if this can be done economically.

Main issues for aquaculture development foreseen in the strategy
and Aquaculture Policies in Albania are as following:

cultivation of sea bass and sea bream in cages, in coastal
marine waters in the Gulf of Vlora, in Yonion Coast from Vlora
to Saranda, and other areas of the Albanian Adriatic Coast;

extensive mariculture in coastal lagoons;

conversion of seaboard carp farms to high value species
(seabass, seabream and shrimps) or other high value species of
our fresh waters, aiming to maintain at the same time the
existing cultures in some units;

restructuring of the Butrinti mussel farm aiming to ensure
the production and to orient its marketing toward high value
producer;

the construction of the implants in order to cultivate
moluscs in the open sea;

the construction of the hatcheries to ensure the fingerling
production for the above mentioned implants;

the rehabilitation and the restructuring of the rainbow
trout farm in Saranda.

In this framework our activity consists in these main issues:

Legislation:

it is set up a working group compound by specialists and legal experts to prepare the complete legislation and regulations for fishery and aquaculture activity. This team has greatly benefited by the assistance of FAO and the Italian Government. In this frame we will gratefully appreciate your collaboration as well.

Monitoring:

Management of the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance in the aquaculture activity.

Privatization:

Up to now the rhythms of privatization have been satisfactory. Privatization has finished in about 70% of boats and vessels and is foreseen to privatize them all up to the end of 1993. It is projected to completely finish the privatization of fishing activity in the first months of 1994. The main problem in this frame was the privatization of aquaculture farms. So far, in this sector is finished the privatization only in three of them.

Collaboration:

Finding the right way of collaboration is considered as a priority of the day. Among so many proposals to establish new joint ventures we must take in consideration all the elements of this kind of collaboration and make the right choice. Financial funds for this purpose can be provided by the international agencies, and by private firms or individuals, interested in this kind of collaboration.

The present situation of the development of aquaculture activities
in Albania are as follows:

Five out of 16 fishfarms, are specialized in producing
fingerlings for the repopulation of the fresh waters in the
country, in accordance with the needs and projects prepared
for this purpose. One of the main problems regarding this
sector is finding appropriate ways for privatization, in order
to promote it.

The largest fishfarm in Albania is located in Kavaja. It
was restructured In Ougest 1993i as an Joint Venture with the
Italian firm from Orbetello, and was named CAP Kavaja. It has
in its own disposal a fishfarm of about 200 ha. In accordance
with the approved project this farm will produce fishes and
shrimps and in the future will gradually be transformed in a
fishfarm producing seafishes and shrimps, in order to
substitute carps production.

There are three other projects to be as soon as possible
implemented for cage culture in collaboration with two Italian
and a greek company. The annual capacity production foreseen
for these implants in these projects is 500 tons (seabass and
seabream). These implants might be allocated in the Gulf of
Vlora and Saranda.

It is under approval the establishment of the Akuasar Joint
Venture, in the rainbow fishfarm of Saranda. The main purposes
of this JV are: restructuring of the existing farm,
implementation of new technologies of salmon and trout
cultivation, increase the output value by processing, and also
to establish a high level of production about 500 tons per
year.

In order to recover the production to “standard” levels
interventions of theoretical and economic point of view are
needed. According to the proposals made by two foreign
partners is going to be reviewed the possibility to establish
another JV in the lagoon of Butrinti. Such an intervention
should allow the application of some new productive
methodologies for mussels and the diversification of the farm
production, toward other fish and shellfish species.
Particularly for mussels, the actual facilities operative on
the lagoon should be modified in order to include the
possibility to transfer each spring juvenile mussels stages to
the sea. External plans will allow to place about 2500 tons of
mussels at the sea. An integrated facility system will than
allow to produce both mussels and fish (seabass), placing

PROGRESS REPORT ON THE NATIONAL AQUACULTURE ACTIVITY
RELATED TO MEDRAP II

Beirut, Nov. 3–5 1993

Croatia participated quite actively and efficiently in all the MEDRAP
II activities organized during 1993. Members of Governmental
institutions and private companies staff has benefited from the
workshops, seminars and training courses.

Croatia was fully supporting MEDRAP II constitution of networking
activities, and is willing to participate actively in all of tham.
Specialised institution to represent Croatia in the Network is
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split.

Communication during 1993 with MEDRAP II Headquarters in Tunis and
FAO/Rome has improved in the later phase. Assistance provided by the
Subregional coordinator has been appreciated.

Ongoing activities in marine aquaculture sector

A new effort is made by the Ministry for sea affairs in formalising
national mariculture development programme. Fishery and aquaculture
legislation was draffted (although not accepted vet) defining the
regulatory and administrative measures for sustainable mariculture
development.

Private sector is still very active in making preassure to the
governmental authorities asking for assistance in seting up their
projects. Support is requested in obtaining licence for the site, feed
and fingerlings' supply but also support in financing projects
itself. Unfortunately, so far there was no external funding in
mariculture project although some promissing actions has been
undertaken.

Total fry production in '93 was 5 mil. compared to the 3.5 mil in
'92. Main fish produced in the hatchery is sea bass with 82% Other
species are gilthead sea bream (13%), puntazzo, and red sea bream (5
%). Table size fish is expected to be about 600 t. Further increase in
the production is expected to be paralleld with the implementation of
the semi offshore cage culture system. For the time being fish
producers are facing market problem since tourism as a main consuming
sector of high value fish is not revitalised yet. On the other side
export to the EEC country is subject to 15% of the import duties that
is going to be further barriers in profitability. Mollusc export to
EEC countriesis experiencing problems since ensuring standard quality
of the product is requested.

Objective difficulties continued to hinder the role that
Cyprus subregional centre could play in the frame work of
MEDRAP II.

Although the participation of the three countries to
MEDRAP II activities was very high, and especially that of
Cyprus and Lebanon, neither Lebanon or Syria proceeded with
the implementation of their national projects for marine
aquaculture development inspite of the good prospects that
exist especially in Lebanon. On the contrary fresh water
aquaculture is well established in all three countries of the
region. Prospects for further development in fresh water
exist mainly in Syria and Syria and Lebanon, While Cyprus Centres its
efforts towards the development of marine aquaculture.

The role of the sub-regional Centre was limited to that
of the liaison office between the Tunis MEDRAP II Centre and
those of the countries of the sub-region.

I do hope that soon Lebanon and Syria will commence
marine aquaculture. Trained personnel on various aspects of
marine aquaculture exists in both countries. Marine
aquaculture for high value species, like seabream and seabass,
has overcome its first difficult stages in most of the MEDRAP
II countries.

I do expect that Lebanon, acknowledging the good
potentials that aquaculture has in providing seafood for the
local market and for export (thus securing foreign currency
and cutting imports), will give priority to the development of
this new sector of the economy.

During 1993 Cyprus participated in all seminars, training
courses and meetings organized by MEDRAP II. It also organized
a 2 weeks injob training of two Egyptian Scientists on marine fish
hatchery, nursery and fattening at the Meneou Experimental Marine
Aguaculture Station.

Research work on diversification of aquaculture

The research work at Meneou Station was mainly centred on new
species i.e. Japanese red seabream Pagrus major (hatchery,
nursery, and rearing of broodstock), seabram Dentex dentex
(hatchery, nursery and rearing of broodstock), common seabream
Pagrus pagrus (collection of wild fry, fattening and rearing of
broodstock), sharpsnout bream Puntazzo puntazzo (hatchery,
nursery, fattening and broodstock keeping).

Environment impact of aquaculture

The operation of the landbased hatcheries as well as of
newly established off-shore cage culture units was followed
through an environmental control monitoring programme.

Legislation

The procedures for the establishment and operation of fish
farms were further defined and straightforwarded. For the
establishment of fish farms an Environmental Impact Assessment
study is required. The study is being first assessed by the
Department of Fisheries and then by the Technical Committee for
the Assessment of the Environmental Impact Assessment Studies
which is composed of representatives of various government
departments, including Town planning and Cyprus Tourism
Organization. Very detailed and stringent terms and conditions
are imposed on the licence for the establishment and operation of
fish farms which are issued by the Department of Fisheries
according to the Fisheries Regulations. The conditions safeguard
the environment and the good management of the fish farms. The
“Law of Aquaculture” and related Regulations are being prepared
and are based on the FAO/TCP project “Environmental Management of
Aguaculture Development” Which was completed early this year.
This Las and Regulations are expected to solve some outstanding
problems related to aquaculture development.

A special computers programme for aquaculture and a relevant
data bank were developed in the Department of Fisheries and put
into operation in order, mainly, to follow and control the
development of aquaculture.

Marketing of aquaculture products

Efforts are being made to control the import of fresh
(chilled) marine species whose marketing affects the local sales
of seabream and seabass (quantity, season of import, species).
Also Cyprus government forwarded a request to EC for a more
favourable treatment of aquaculture products exported to EC
countries. The export of table seabream and seabass is increasing
with the establishment of offshore cage farms.

Cyprus adopted the Directive No.91/493/EC which regulates the
export of aquaculture products from third countries to EC. For
this purpose the training of fish pathologists (veterinarians)
has been intensified and the packing facilities of the fish farms
are upgraded to conform with EC standards.

Fish production

As a result of the new government policy which encourages the
establishment of offshore cage culture farms 5 more units are
expected to start soon after being scrutinized through the
elaborated procedure referring mainly to the assessment of their
anticipated environmental impact. Thus the total number of
offshore cage farms will increase to nine. Also a shrimp farm and
a new fish hatchery (in addition to the existing 2 hatcheries)
were put into operation during 1993. These are the only marine
fish culture operations on land, as Telia Aqua Marine fish farm
was converted into a landbased hatchery and an offshore cage
culture unit. All farms employ marine biologists specialized in
various aspects of aquaculture.

Production

The total fry production (mainly seabream and seabass) during
1992 was 5.9 million. Out of these about 5 million were exported
and about 1 million were kept in Cyprus for ongrowing.

The total table size marine fish from aquaculture was about
70 tons. Also 5 kg of fertilized alive fish ova were exported.
The total value of the marine aquaculture products was about
U.S.S3.5 million out of which 81% represented the value of
exports. At the same period Cyprus production of fish from
fishing reached 2.666 tons valued at about U.S.$. 15 million (C£1
=U.S.$.2)

The production of table size fish in rising considerably in
1993 as the first offshore cage culture units started selling
their production.

During 1993 Portugal participated quite actively in almost all MEDRAP II activities, including the
hosting and organization of the “Workshop on Food Production and Feeding Techniques”.
In fact, our representative, however selected he could not attend the “Training Course on Advanced
Techniques in Mediterranean Marine Hatcheries” hold in Tunisia, due to financial difficulties.

As for the previous years we consider that MEDRAP II project gave a positive contribution to our
country, allowing some interrelation between aquaculture concerned parties, specially research institutions.
Unfortunately it was yet not possible to settle the National Committee for Aquaculture Development, the
suitable ground to the establishment and consolidation of the national cooperation in this sector, a
significant basis for the sustained development of aquaculture.

OVERVIEW OF THE PORTUGUESE AQUACULTURE

Aquaculture in Portugal maintains the same pattern already reported to MEDRAP II, that means above
70% is short-neck clam, 12% rainbow trout, and remanent is gilthead seabream, sea bass, eel, other
sparids and other finfish species and shellfish. Unless the high abundance of mullets in our estuaries and
lagunar systems, this resource is not (yet) exploited as their economic value is very poor (less than 8% of
sea bream market price).

Concerning the marine fin fish rearing technology an improvement was performed, carrying on from the
extensive to the semi-intensive. In fact, now no more extensive farms are operating, production reachs
average 3 m.t./ha/year in monoculture of sea bream or sea bass or in polyculture. Only 2% follows high
semi-intensive and intensive way, for sea bream, sea bass and turbot.
The above referred panorama, emphasizing semi-intensive rearing, reflects the fittness of aquaculture to the
natural capacity and environment preservation, specially of the wetlands (lagunar systems and estuaries). A
contribution to this is the production efluent treatment, which throughness is in direct relation with the
intensification grade.

On freshwater fishculture, a high increase (above 40%) on rainbow trout production and the stability on
eelculture.

Anyhow, aquaculture development, specially marine fin fish, faces some difficulties, which are strongly
conditioned by the lack of active and competent producers Organizations. Being the great majority small
fish farmers, they are not able to provide the marketing and commercialization, the search for
diversification, the acquisition of the production factors, or to get the adequate technical support.
Other bottlenecks are related to the yet unfinished coastal management, the need of easy and privileged
funds for improvement and also the lack of investment agressiveness by the investors.

ADDITIONAL NOTICES

Seminar on aquaculture and wetlands, hold in Lisbon, July 5–7, 1993, organized by EC south european
countries (France, Itlay, Portugal and Spain), except Greece that could not participate.
The objective was the joint application of research projects for the EC Programme A.I.R., which induced
the realization of the Seminar to evaluate the state of the wetlands (lagunar systems, estuaries, rias) in the
region, in order to select the thems for research.
A main conclusion was the election of the semi-intensive fish rearing system, advisable for wetlands,
allowing profitable productions but safeguarding their carrying and loading capacities and preserving the
environment.

The finals Reports of these meetings should be provided to the MEDRAP II Coordinator to acknowledge
all the member countries.

FINAL COMMENTS

Considering that MEDRAP II would achieve a more or less prominent assessment to all member
countries its obvious the importance to proceed it preserving the pattern followed up to now, perhaps
improved, with the same UNDP/FAO support.
We are affraid that changing this pattern may abort the outcomes and gains already reached. It is
acknowledgable that not all member countries have attained the self capability, specially in terms of
oganization, to go on by themselves.